Newcastle United have cemented the foundation of a lasting dynasty under the tutelage of Eddie Howe this season, and could now complete a league-shattering signing by pulling off a deal for Real Madrid phenom Vinicius Junior.

According to Spanish sources, Newcastle are joined by Liverpool and Manchester United in their interest in the Brazilian whiz, who would possibly command a fee as tall as €200m (£174m) to prise him away from Los Blancos' clutches.

The 22-year-old is one of football's hottest commodities and has been integral in Madrid's illustrious success over the past several seasons, and procuring his signature could be the perfect way for Newcastle to stamp their authority after a tremendous campaign that will see them return to the Champions League next term.

Indeed, the Magpies have qualified for the competition for the first time in two decades, and following the PIF takeover in October 2021, now boast an opulence to give St James' Park a palatial feel, one that could entice someone of Vinicius Junior's ilk into joining.

How good is Vinicius Jr.?

When Real Madrid signed 16-year-old forward Vinicius Junior from Brazilian outfit Flamengo for £38m in 2018, several eyebrows arched skyward after such a heavy sum was spent on a player still within their formative years.

However, the 21-cap menace has now forged 224 appearances for the Spanish giants, winning the Champions League, two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey.

This season, Vinicius has scored 23 goals and supplied 21 assists from 54 appearances, confirming his stature as a "top player" and the "catalyst" for his outfit, as lauded by Daniel Sturridge.

The threat that the £348k-per-week gem would cultivate on Tyneside is a terrifying prospect for the rest of the Premier League, with the flanker ranking among the top 8% of positional peers over the past year for non-penalty goals, the top 8% for assists, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, also demonstrating his driving prowess by ranking among the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, as per FBref.

He would, quite candidly, be the ultimate upgrade on Magpies wide-man Allan Saint-Maximin, whose future on Tyneside yields a more tenuous link by the week as the forthcoming transfer market opens its stalls.

Saint-Maximin is a fleet-footed winger and an enigmatic figure, but has scored only once from 30 appearances this season, starting just 11 times in the Premier League.

It goes without saying that Vinicius Junior would bring a somewhat more direct threat than his French counterpart, concurrently enriching the Toon ranks with his guile and aura as a superlative force.

His signing would embody the shifting of the wind, the changing of direction and the navigation toward prominence and silverware – securing Newcastle's ascension to the forefront of the global game.

أكد مصدر داخل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، أنه تم فتح خطوط اتصال موسعة مع الفرنسي هيرفي رينارد، المدير الفني لمنتخب فرنسا للسيدات لتولي مهمة قيادة الفراعنة خلال الفترة المُقبلة.

وأوضح المصدر لـ”بطولات”، أن رينارد أبدى موافقته على تدريب منتخب مصر، ولكنه طلب أن يتولى المهمة رسميًا بعد أولمبياد باريس 2024.

وطلب أن يقود مساعده مهمة تدريب منتخب مصر خلال الدورة الودية في شهر مارس المُقبل، وأيضًا مواجهتي بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو، في تصفيات كأس العالم 2026، المزمع إقامتهما في يونيو القادم.

طالع أيضًا | لا للمدرب الوطني.. سيد معوض يرشح البديل المناسب لـ فيتوريا في منتخب مصر

ويدرس اتحاد الكرة حاليًا فكرة استقدام مساعد رينارد لتولي مهمة قيادة منتخب مصر في معسكري مارس ويونيو، قبل حسم الموقف النهائي بشأنه.

وعلم “بطولات” من مصادره الخاصة، أن الاتحاد لن يُمانع إذا وصل راتب رينار لـ200 ألف دولار شهريًا من أجل إقناعه بتولي مهمة تدريب منتخب مصر.

الجدير بالذكر، أن منتخب مصر ودع منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 من دور الـ 16 على يد الكونغو الديمقراطية، وعلى إثر لك، وجه اتحاد الكرة الشكر للبرتغالي روي فيتوريا وجهازه المعاون، لتبدأ رحلة البحث عن مدير فني جديد.

Crystal Palace are “set to complete” the imminent signing of Bournemouth midfielder Jefferson Lerma, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Are Crystal Palace signing Lerma?

The Colombia international made 184 appearances at the Vitality Stadium after joining from Levante back in 2018, but with his contract expiring this summer, it’s recently been confirmed that he won’t be extending his stay and has now become a free agent on the market.

The Cherries’ former talisman started 37 out of 38 Premier League games last season and established himself as Gary O’Neil’s third best-performing offensive player which quickly attracted interest from several clubs in the top-flight.

TEAMtalk credited the Eagles, West Ham United, Leicester City, Fulham and Nottingham Forest all with an interest in the 28-year-old last month, but after pondering over the next stage of his career, it sounds like Roy Hodgson’s side have won the hot pursuit to bring him to Selhurst Park.

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Crystal Palace are expected to finalise an agreement to sign Lerma for absolutely nothing following his departure from Bournemouth, with an announcement predicted imminently. He wrote:

“Crystal Palace are set to complete Jefferson Lerma deal on free transfer. The agreement is finally at the final stages, here we go expected soon. Lerma has left Bournemouth as his contract expires at the end of the month.”

Could Lerma be a positive addition at Crystal Palace?

Crystal Palace have played against Bournemouth and indeed Lerma several times in the Premier League so will know what he’s capable of, and the fact that they are set to acquire the defensive midfielder’s signature for free rather than entering the market and splashing big cash on a high-profile target is an absolute bargain.

The El Cerrito native is extremely strong in the natural aspect of his game, ranking in the 99th percentile for clearances and recording 50 tackles over the course of the previous campaign which was the second-highest total throughout his squad, form which has seen him hailed a “confident” and "outstanding" player by journalist Josh Bunting.

The Nike-sponsored gem, who can also contribute to efforts in the final third having netted five goals in the top-flight last term, is additionally a versatile operator with his ability to play in six different positions over the grass, including four in the midfield, at centre-back and right-back, so overall, he would be a fantastic addition to the central ranks in SE25.

Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz is being eyed up by Real Madrid for a shock summer transfer, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed.

What's going on with Havertz?

The German international has had another disappointing season, scoring nine goals in 47 games across all competitions, and the 23-year-old could be sacrificed in order to bring another forward in.

The versatile attacker scored the winner as Chelsea won the Champions League two years ago, but has been underwhelming during his time at Stamford Bridge beyond that moment, and his three season spell could now come to an end as Carlo Ancelotti takes aim at the £150k-per-week star.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that Los Blancos are interested in Havertz to add depth to their attack, with Marco Asensio set to depart.

"There have been many rumours about Kai Havertz in the last 24 hours, and I'm told that it's true, Real Madrid really appreciate him. He was one of the names they mentioned in their internal meeting they had with Carlo Ancelotti, and with people on the board who report to Florentino Perez," he stated.

"So it's true that they really appreciate Kai Havertz. They believe that Havertz is the kind of creative player with skills that Real Madrid don't have in the current team, let's remind that Marco Asensio will leave the club.

"The situation on the Chelsea side, from what I'm told, Chelsea are open to negotiating for Kai Havertz. So Havertz is not an untouchable player at Chelsea, but some of the reports coming from Spain were mentioning maybe a loan with a buy option clause or these kind of things, no. Chelsea want important money for their important players."

Should Chelsea sell Havertz?

Depending on the size of the offer that comes in from Real Madrid, a sale of Havertz could solve a number of problems at Chelsea.

The club need to sell players in order to comply with financial fair play rules, and Havertz could be a player sacrificed given his underwhelming contributions on the pitch.

Havertz joined for an astonishing £75m in 2020, and whilst it seems highly unlikely that Chelsea will recover a lot of this, cutting their losses now whilst his value is high could help Mauricio Pochettino buy a new striker, and Havertz's departure would make space in the squad.

Victor Osimhen has been targeted, and if Havertz making way can generate space and funds to sign the Napoli striker, then it is a deal that Chelsea should look to complete.

Fast bowler Kesrick Williams has been called into the West Indies T20 squad for the three-match series against Pakistan beginning on September 23 in Dubai as a replacement for allrounder Andre Russell

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2016

Fast bowler Kesrick Williams has been called into the West Indies T20 squad for the three-match series against Pakistan beginning on September 23 in Dubai as a replacement for allrounder Andre Russell. According to a release sent out by the West Indies Cricket Board, Russell “asked to withdraw from the series to attend to a personal matter”.West Indies T20 squad

Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams
In: Kesrick Williams
Out: Andre Russell

Despite playing just nine first-class games and six List A matches in his career, the last of which came in 2014, Williams emerged as a consistent threat in this year’s Caribbean Premier League, playing for the champions Jamaica Tallawahs. Williams, 26, was a bargain after being drafted in the 13th round for a price of just $5000 before going on to finish third overall with 17 wickets in the competition behind only Sohail Tanvir and Dwayne Bravo.Russell was set to face a Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) on September 19 and 20 for allegedly missing three tests but it is not known if this is the reason for his decision to withdraw from the Pakistan series.Russell, 28, has been a leading player in the T20 format in recent times. He played a crucial role in West Indies winning the 2016 World T20 title in March and April, and is a key performer in domestic leagues around the world. Russell was part of winning campaigns for Sydney Thunder in the 2015-16 Big Bash League, for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League in February, and Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL in August.

Newcastle United 'will be looking' at Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes this summer as Eddie Howe seeks to strengthen his squad in the summer at St James' Park, according to journalist Keith Downie.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harvey Barnes?

As per Football Insider, Leicester City are set to demand over £50 million for Barnes this summer, regardless of whether they stay in the Premier League or suffer relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

The outlet report that Newcastle United are keen on the 25-year-old, who is also attracting attention from Tottenham Hotspur and a number of clubs in the English top flight.

90min claimed last month that the Magpies were tracking Barnes ahead of the off-season as they plan to 'invest heavily' in squad additions in order for Howe to beef up depth on Tyneside ahead of 2023/24.

Barnes is open to a new challenge and is willing to leave the King Power Stadium and could be joined by teammate James Maddison, who has also attracted interest in his services, namely from Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Downie thinks that Newcastle should be targeting players like Barnes and Maddison as they prepare for next term: “For any of these players, Newcastle must be an appealing place to come right now, with everything you see on matchdays.

“They could be playing Champions League football next season, and the club is on the rise. Without a doubt, those are the sort of players Newcastle will be looking to bring in.

“The biggest challenge is whether they can fit into the wage structure.”

How has Harvey Barnes faired for Leicester City this season?

Barnes, who has been described as almost being a "superstar", has been a rare bright spark for Leicester City this season, though he may not be able to dig them out of their relegation trouble.

In 2022/23, the England international has made 38 appearances in all competitions, registering 12 goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored shows that Barnes has been a constant offensive threat for the Foxes this term, managing to take an average of 2.2 shots per match in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, his high goal tally means that Barnes, compared to his positional peers, ranks favourably in the metric of non-penalty goals across Europe's top five divisions, as he has achieved 0.40 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, placing the £35k-a-week ace in the tenth percentile for this statistical curation, as per FBRef.

Newcastle United may need to enter the market for a winger this summer as uncertainty over the future of Allan Saint-Maximin continues and Barnes could fit the bill as a capable replacement.

From a creative standpoint, the likes of Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold must have felt like Atlas, the Greek titan tasked with holding the world on his shoulders, at times during their respective Liverpool careers.

While Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both boast more assists with Jurgen Klopp in the dugout, Alexander-Arnold's assist rate of 0.26 per 90 and his Scottish counterpart's rate of 0.24 per 90 are bettered – marginally – only by the world-class Egyptian's rate of 0.27 per 90, and Salah is one of the the most prolific in the business.

Auxillary support from the central midfield has been in short supply for Liverpool over the past several years, as Klopp's system is steeped on industrious midfielders churning the engine at full throttle while the wide players assume creative responsibility, with Robertson and Alexander-Arnold indeed taking precedence in this regard with their unceasing output.

And according to 90min, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo could rewrite this narrative, with Merseyside scouts – alongside those of Arsenal and Newcastle United – observing the Spaniard during a recent victory over Bayern Munich; a sum of €30m (£26m) could be enough to prise him away from Germany with just one year left on his contract.

How good is Dani Olmo?

Liverpool's failure to qualify for the Champions League illuminates the need for change, and Klopp might be inclined to revisit the early success of Philippe Coutinho, who was sold to Barcelona for £146m to catalyse the ensuing illustrious exploits at Anfield.

Coutinho's assist rate of 0.25 per 90 under Klopp demonstrates how effective he was as the German's dynasty took flight, also scoring 37 goals from his 89 outings, hailed as a "genius" by his manager before departing for La Blaugrana.

Olmo, who has now racked up 122 appearances for Leipzig, has been in fine form this season and plundered five goals and ten assists from 17 starts across all competitions during an injury-hit campaign.

The 30-cap maestro ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 24% for progressive passes and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, described as a "magic" midfielder by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The 24-year-old possesses a similarly natural grace, an elegance on the pitch that complements an intellect that ensures he picks out the right pass at the right time, while also knowing the opportune moment to strike the ball himself.

Once dubbed an "outstanding footballer" by Julian Nagelsmann, Olmo is yet to quite reach the crest of the wave but has already exhibited highly promising facets to his game, and would be an exemplary signing for Klopp and co.

When Coutinho plied his trade under the German, Liverpool were chaotic and enthralling, but unbalanced, and while the 22/23 season has been a detrimental setback for the club, requisite moves will be made this summer to steady the ship.

And if the equilibrium can be reinstated before swooping for Olmo and injecting fresh potency into the Anfield centre, the Reds could unearth the formula for an incredible new wave of success.

A round-up of the second day’s play in round one of Ranji Trophy Group C matches

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2016Group CAshutosh Singh stood out with 140 on first-class debut as Chhattisgarh consolidated their position with a 137-run lead at stumps against Tripura in Ranchi.The overnight batsmen – Ashutosh and Mohammad Kaif – extended their partnership to 62, before seamer Abhijit Dey removed Kaif for 27. Dey then dismissed Ajay Mandal for 5 and reduced Chhattisgarh to 124 for 5 en route to career-best figures of 4 for 26.Ashutosh, however, held the innings together. He struck 16 boundaries and a six and took his team to 255, before he was the last man dismissed. Dey was supported by Rana Dutta, who claimed 3 for 39. Tripura closed the day at 10 for 0.Opener Akshath Reddy’s 11th first-class ton gave Hyderabad the first-innings advantage against Goa in Nagpur. In reply to Goa’s 164, Hyderabad progressed to 188 for 4 at stumps on the second day. Reddy was unbeaten on 105 with Bavanaka Sandeep for company.Having started the day at 28 for 1, Hyderabad lost Vishal Sharma to seamer Rituraj Singh for the addition for just five runs. Rituraj struck again when he dismissed B Anirudh for 5 to leave Hyderabad at 49 for 3 in the 20th over.Reddy and captain S Badrinath, who was playing at his former home ground, put on 90 runs for the fourth wicket to revive their team’s hopes. Left-arm spinner Darshan Misal broke the partnereship when he had Badrinath stumped for 41, but Reddy and Sandeep pushed Hyderabad towards 200.Haryana dismissed Services for 197 and then sliced 117 runs off the deficit for the loss of three wickets at Bradbourne Stadium in Mumbai.After Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Rajat Paliwal shared most of the wickets, opener Shubham Rohilla drove Haryana with an unbeaten half-century. He added 52 runs for the first wicket with Nitin Saini before debutant left-arm spinner Vikas Yadav struck to remove Saini (25) and Chaitanya Bishnoi (7) quickly. Yadav then got rid of Himanshu Rana (18) off the last ball of the day to finish with 3 for 31 in 10 overs.Earlier, Services added 54 to their overnight tally of 143 for 6 before being bowled out in 73 overs. Shamsher Yadav stayed unbeaten on 29 off 72 balls. Formerly of Services, Paliwal applied the finishing touches for Haryana when he had No.11 Poonam Poonia caught by Rohit Sharma for 8.Only 7.2 overs were possible on the second day in Kalyani as Kerala moved to 282 for 7 from an overnight 263 for 7 against Jammu & Kashmir. Sanju Samson remained unbeaten on 142 off 277 balls, including 22 fours and a six.Rain wiped out the second day’s play between Himachal Pradesh and Andhra in Bhubaneswar. Centuries from Prashant Chopra and Sumeet Verma had helped Himachal recover from 103 for 5 to 318 for 7 on the opening day. While Chopra (117) became medium-pacer Ashwin Hebbar’s maiden first-class victim, Verma remained unbeaten on 116.

Everton defender Nathan Patterson is likely to be ruled out of the Premier League game against Bournemouth on Sunday, according to reports.

What's the latest injury news on Nathan Patterson?

The Toffees netted a stoppage-time winner to rescue a late draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, so heading into the final fixture of the season in three days' time, Sean Dyche and his side find themselves in 17th place just two points above the relegation zone, meaning that if they secure a victory, they will successfully avoid the drop.

The Goodison Park outfit, however, have some big injury concerns coming into that game, including 21-year-old Patterson, who pulled up with a hamstring problem during their previous outing and had to be replaced by Michael Keane after just 29 minutes – and unfortunately for the boss, it sounds like he won’t have the right-back at his disposal for the decider on Sunday.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Patterson is "expected to miss out" the visit of Bournemouth this weekend, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin also a "growing" concern after being forced off the pitch with a hamstring injury of his own against Wolves. The Rangers academy graduate is "set to be absent" for potentially the most important showdown of the campaign after undergoing a further assessment to discover the true extent of his issue.

Will Patterson's absence be a blow for Everton?

Everton will know that Patterson isn’t the strongest of players in an attacking sense having recorded zero goals or assists this season, but the “solid” defender's absence will definitely be a blow for Dyche.

The Scotland international, who pockets £28k per week, ranks highly amongst his positional peers over the past year, placing in the 98th percentile for tackles, the 95th percentile for blocks and in the 94th percentile for clearances, as per FBref.

The Glasgow native also provides the boss with some versatility having operated slightly higher up on the right side of the midfield as well as in his usual role at the back since the start of the term, but that is yet another attribute that will be missing this coming weekend.

Whatever happens to Everton on Sunday, Patterson will understandably be gutted not to have been able to play any part in helping his side secure their fate, so all he can focus on now is his recovery and preparation in a bid to return to action for the start of pre-season.

أوضحت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن مستجدات حول مستقبل قائد الفريق الكتالوني برشلونة، سيرجي روبيرتو، مع النادي الإسباني خلال الفترة المقبلة.

ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثالث في سلم الترتيب العام للدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، برصيد 51 نقطة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ذا صن: لابورتا مهووس بتعاقد برشلونة مع مدرب مانشستر يونايتد السابق لخلافة تشافي

وأفادت صحيفة ماركا الإسبانية، أن نادي برشلونة لن يقوم بتمديد عقد سيرجي روبيرتو مع الفريق خلال الفترة القادمة.

وسينتهي عقد سيرجي روبيرتو مع برشلونة الإسباني بنهاية الموسم الحالي صيف 2024.

وتابعت الصحيفة الإسبانية أن النادي الكتالوني برشلونة لا يفكر في تجديد عقد سيرجي روبيرتو رغم حسن سلوكه ومكانته كقائد بالفريق.

جدير بالذكر أن المدير الفني الحالي لفريق برشلونة، تشافي هيرنانديز، قد طلب من إدارة النادي ضرورة تمديد عقد اللاعب نظراً للمكانة التي يتمتع بها داخل صفوف برشلونة.